Type-writing machine.



No. 702,706. 4 Patented lune I7, |902.

G. W. COFFMAN. TYPE wmrma MACHINE.

(Application fledr Nov. 5, 1.900. Renewed Nov. 21.., 1901.)

(Nu Model.)

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE W. GOEEMAN, oE GARDEN oITY,1KAi\IsAs.`

TYPE-WRITING MACHINE.

VSPECIIEIILA'IEION forming part of Letters Patent No. 702,706, dated June 17, 1902.

Application filed November 5,1900.. Renewed November 21, 1901. Serial No. 83,187. (No model.)

To all whom t may concern.: l

Be it known that l, GEORGE W. COEEMAN;

a citizenof the United States, residing at Garden City, Finney county, Kansas, have invented a new and useful Type-Writing Machine, of which the Afollowing is a specifica` tion.

My invention relates to type-writing machines of that class designed to be carried in ones pocket and operated on any smooth flat surface that takes ink impressions ;"and my object is to produce a machine of v'this character which is' thoroughly efticient `and reliable in action and possesses the desirable fea` chine as engaged in making lower-case char-` Fig. 4 is a central transverse sectionv acters. of the machine as engaged in making upper; case characters. Fig. 5 is a longitudinal section showing a type-bar-carrying-frame elevating means of slightly-modified construction, and Fig. 6 is a top view of the' same. Fig. 7 shows a modified construction of machine. Fig. 8 is abottom plan view of part of the flexible type-bar. l

Referring to the drawings in detail, 1 designates the base of the machine, thesame being in the form of a long narrow plate underlaid with arubber strip 2 in order to obtain better cohesive relation with the surface to be written upon and eliminate chances ofthe base slippin g, and thereby rendering thework inaccurate andA inartistic and perhaps spoiling it, and this base is provided at its rear edge with a rackbar`3, either circular in crosssection, as shown, orotherwiseformed, and on its upperside said base is provided with a scale, as sl1own,to be used as a gage for start lpose which hereinafter appears.

ing and ending the lines the same distance from the edge of the paper or othervwritingsurface.

@designates a bed-plate aboutV the same length but of greater width than the base-plate by preference and formed at its front margin with a sleeve 5, embracing the rack-bar 3, and.

provided centrally with a notch or'opening 6 to Vexpose a portion of said rack-barter a pur- Said bedplate is also provided centrally with an opening 7, and in order to insure legible printing.

the bed-plate is made as thin as possible near said opening, preferably by tapering it toward the same from all sides '(see Fig. 4) to `enable the characters on the type-bar (hereinafter described) to be easily projected through the opening and have'a square bearing on the paper or`other surface printed upon. Near vits outer en'd the bed-plate is ,formed with an upwardly-projecting pin or arm 8 and near its opposite end with a pin 9, upon which 'is pivotally-mounted to swing laterally a frame 10, U'shaped in cross-section, said frame being equal in length-to the bed-plate and in practice somewhat less than a half-inch in width and less than that in depth, though of course the exactp'roportions are not of importance in thisl connection. The bottom of this frame is provided, by preference, with a large opening 1l at its center and near its outer'end with a transverse slot 12, embracing thel projecting pin or arm 8, the engagement of the ends ofl the slot with said pin or arln'vlimiting the lateral movement of said frame 'u'p'on said bed-plate, and in order to-hold thefframenorma'lly in its forward position again'stsleeve 5 of the bedplate it is providedwitha-spring 13, having its free or movable 'end "bearing against the front sideof said pin 'or arm-8, (see Figs. 1

and 3,) the -powerof the spring being suffi-A cient to pull the frame forwardly to the .position mentioned, as will be readilyunderstood.I When thus arranged, it will befunderstood by reference tov Figs'. -3 and 4 that the center of the frame is about vertically over the' front edge of opening? and that when the'frame is swung to the rear, as shown by Fig. 4, the center of the frame will be over IOO the rear edge of said opening. The object of this arrangement will be hereinafter explained.

As the most practical and durable inking device for the machine I secure upon the bottom of the frame at opposite ends of opening 11 the inking-pads 14. These pads need inking at infrequent intervals and then may be restored to their original condition and freshness by a little ink properly and easily distributed thereon.

15 designates a type-bar-carrying frame U shape in cross-section, the same being of equal length but narrower gage than frame 10 and also inverted with respect thereto. Adjacent to pivot 9 said frame is pivoted, as shown at 1G, to and within frame l0, so as to operate vertically, and is provided at a suitable point with a horizontal rock-shaft 17, carrying a dog 1S at its front end, said dog extending downwardly and forwardly at the front side of frame 10 and having its tooth 1f) intersecting the opening G of sleeve 5 and engaging one of the teeth of rack-bar 3, the tooth being of sufficient length to engage said rackbar without regard to whether frame 10 occupies its front position against sleeve 5 (see Fig. 3) or its rear position, as shown in Fig. 4, and in order to hold this dog in the proper position relative to the rack-bar a spring 2O spirally encircles the shaft and is secured at its opposite ends thereto and to a wall of the type-bar-carrying frame, as shown clearly in Fig. 4, the tendency of this spring obviously being to hold the dog pressed downward upon the rack-bar and incidentally to utilize the dog as a lever for elevating the type-bar-carrying frame to its normal position, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2. The primary means for causing said type-bar-carrying frame lo assume and maintain normally its elevated position is a spring 21, secured to frame 10 in any suitable manner and exerting a pressure upward against one of the walls of frame 15, preferably the rear wall. (See Figs. 2 and 4.) The weight of the type-bar-carryiug frame is ordinarily sufficient to maintain it in about the relative position shown in Figs. 1 and 2; but to positively limit'its upward movement under the pressure of said springs I may secure one end of spring 21 to frame 15 and have a pin-and-slot connection, as at 22, between its opposite end and frame 10, as shown in Fig. 5. This obviously will guard against frame 15 being raised high enough to permit spring 2O to throw the dog back of the notched portion G of the sleeve 5. Furthermore, by positively determining the altitude which frame 15 may assume regularity of pressure is approximately attained in the manipulation of the machine, and better and faster work is the necessary result.

Frame 15 is provided with a pressure-roller 23 vertically over opening 7 and having the lowest point of its periphery about in the plane of the lower edge of the frame and holding depressed below the same a portion of the flexible type-bar 24. This type-bar is provided with upper and lower case letters andin addition with iigures from O to 9, inclusive, and any other characters that maybe desired and has its opposite ends secured to a slide-plate 25, or rather to blocks 26, depending from said slide-plate, for convenience in attaching the type-bar. This slide-plate is supported against the ugper portion of the frame 15 by means of a bridge-plate 27, and in order that the slide-plate may be adjusted said frame is provided with a longitudinal slot 23, through which the key-lever 29 may operate, this key-lever being pivoted to plate 25 and constructed of spring metal in order that the free end may be raised sufficiently high to easily disengage the key 30, pivoted on its free end 'by preference from any of the character-openings 31 with which it may happen to be engaged, said character-openings being formed in the reinforce-plate 32, secured to the upper side of frame 15, which openings are arranged by preference in two series, one near the front and one near the back margin of frame 15. In number the openings exceed twenty-six by as many as there are figures and extra characters employed. The characters are preferably printed on a strip of paper or thin celluloid and secured between the upper side of frame 15 proper and the reinforce-plate containing the character-openings, as at 33. W'hile the keylever is pivoted as stated, it is obvious that it may be secured rigidly to the slide-plate and its resiliency relied upon to permit the proper disengagement with the openings 31 near the front or rear edge of the frame. The key 30 is preferably flat, as shown, and swiveled in order that in shipment it may be turned at right angles to the position it occupies and rest upon the reinforce-plate.

In practice, assuming that it is desired to use the machine and that the parts are arranged as shown, the base-plate is arranged upon a sheet of paper, a book, or other surface capable of taking ink impressions and held firmly with the left hand in any convenient manner. The key is then grasped between the 'forelinger and thumb of the right hand and, if necessary, swung laterally and longitudinally adjusted to dispose it over thc proper character-opening 31. By this adjustment of the key the slide-plate 25 is moved so as to dispose the character on the type-bar vertically over opening 7, which corresponds to the character below the key. If the first letter should be a capital, the operator, preferably with the forefinger of his left hand, pushes frame 10 rearwardly to the position shownin Fig. 4t, so as to dispose the front series of type characters, which are the upper-case letters or capitals, vertically over opening 7. The key is then pressed downward into the registering character-opening with sufficient pressure to cause frame 15 to assume almost a horizontal position, the effect being that roller 23 forces the registering type character through opening 7 and upon the paper or other surfacel below. As this is accomplished such pressure is removed, and spring 21, assisted to some extent by spring 20, relevates frame 15 to its original position, and at the same time the pressure of the foretinger is removed from frame 10 and is instantly followed by such frame swinging forward under the power of'spring 13 in a manner hereinbefore explained, and in this connection it will also be noted that with each depression of frame most of the characters on the exible type-bar are inked, so that they are all kept in condition to print at any time. The downward movement of the frame under the pressure of the key through the medium of the dog and rack-bar slides the bed-plate and the parts mounted thereon-t'.

- c., the entire machine exceptthe base-plateone step, this movement terminating as the type engages the paper or other surface, so that the impression shall be made upon a relatively stationary surface, and conse-1 quently be clear and legible. ter being a lower-case letter, we will say, is

printed in .precisely the same manner asv above described, except that frame 10 is not swung rearwardly upon the bed-plate, the result being that `the desired character of the rear series on the type-bar, which represents the lower-case letters, is pressed downward through the registering opening 7, as will be readily understood.

In practice the machine can be manipulated with a very fair degree of rapidity, and a line of any length can be printed by noting the point on the scale opposite the point Where the last impression was made and marking or otherwiseI locating such point yupon the paper or on a straight-edged guide held against the front edge of the base-plate and then sliding the entire machine, including the base-plate, along the edge of said guide the desired distance, the guide being employed simply to insure a straight line of printing. The dog is now held out of engagement and the bed-plate and superposed parts adjusted until the dog, which is preferablyvin transverse alinement with opening 7, registers with the point of identification referred to. may then be proceeded with in the usual manner. When a new line is to be printed, to insure parallelism and uniformity in the distance between the lines the machine vis moved bodily downward until the rear edge of the bed-plate registers' with the upper or lower margin of the printed line, as desired.

In the former case the lines will be closer to- The next let- The operation of the machinev der the pressure'of spring 21, this construction comprising a set-screw 10, carried by frame 10 and projecting into a short slot 15 in frame 15,which set-screw can be withdrawn from said slot easily and quickly topermit frame to be swung upward to a verticalposition to give convenient access for reinking the pads 14, as will be readilyunderstood.

From the abovedescription it will be apparent that I have produced a type-writing machine which embodies the features of advantage enumerated as desirable in the statement of invention, and while I have illustrated and described the preferred embodiment of the same it is is Aclearly susceptible of various modifications as regards its form, proportion, detail construction, and arrangement of the parts without departing from the essential spirit and scope or sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention.

Having thus described the invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a type-writing machine, a base, a rackvbar thereon, a bed-plate'longitudinally adjustable relatively to the base and provided with an opening, a frame mounted on the bedplate and provided with anopening registering with that of the bed-plate, a second frame pivoted to work vertically in the first-named frame at one end, and yieldingly upheld, and provided with character-indicatingy pointsa longitudinally-adjustable slide-plate mounted in said vertically-operating frame, a nexible type-bar secured to said'plate, means for from the said second frame and engaging said rack-bar, substantially as described.

. 2. In a type-writingmachine, abase, a rackbar thereon, a bed-plate longitudinally adjustable relatively to the base and provided with an opening, a frame mounted-on the IIO bed-plate andlprovided with an opening regk istering with that of the bed-plate and with an ink-pad at opposite ends of said opening, a second'frame pivoted to workvertically in the first-named frame at one end and yieldingly upheld, and provided with characterindicating points,a longitudinally-adjustable slide-plate mounted in said vertically-operatingframe, a flexible type-bar secured to said plate, means for holding depressed that portion of the flexible type-barwhich is vertically over the bed-plate opening, a key-lever also secured to said plate, a key onsaid lever, and adapted when registering with one .of said character-indicating points to dispose the correspondingcharacter on thetype-bar vertically over the bed-plate opening, and a dog pivotally depending from the said second frame and engaging said rack-bar, substantially as described.

3. In a type-Writing machine, a base, a frame movable longitudinally and laterally thereof and provided with an opening, a vertically-movable frame mounted on the irstnamed frame and provided with characterindicating points, means for holding said vertically-movable frame pressed yieldingly upward, a iiexible type-bar adj ustably mounted in the vertically-movable frame, and having one or more rows of type, and means, by reference to said indicating-points, to dispose any desired character on the type-bar vertically over the opening of said longitudinallymovable frame, substantially as described.

4. In a type Writing machine, a base, a frame movable longitudinally and laterally thereof and provided with an opening, means for yieldingly holding said frame in its forward position, a vertically-movable frame mounted on the first-named frame and provided with character-indicatingpoints,means for holding said verticallymovable frame pressed yieldingly upward, a flexible typebar adjustably mounted in the verticallymovable frame, and having one or more rows of type, and means, by reference to said indicating-points, to dispose any desired character on the type-bar vertically over the opening of said longitudinally-movable frame, substantially as described.

5. In a type-writing machine, a base, a frame movable longitudinally and laterally thereof and provided with an opening, a spring holding said frame normally in its forward position, a vertically-movable frame mounted on the first-named frame and provided with character-indicatin g points, means for holding said vertically movable frame pressed yieldingly upward, a flexible typebar adjustably mounted in the verticallymovable frame and having one or more rows of type, and means, by reference to said indicating-points, to dispose any desired character on' the type-bar vertically over the opening of said longitudinally-movable frame, substantially as described.

6. In a type-writing machine, a base, a rackbar thereon, a bed-plate longitudinally adjustable relatively to the base and provided with al1 opening, a frame mounted on and pivoted to the bed-plate near one end, to work laterally, and provided with an opening registering with that of the bed-plate, a second frame pivoted to work vertically in the firstnamed frame adjacent to the pivotal point of connection of the latter with the bed-plate,

and provided with character indicating points, a longitudinally adjustable slideplate mounted in said vertically-operating frame, a iiexible type-bar secured to said plate, means for holding depressed that portion of the flexible type-bar which is vertically over the bed-plate opening, a key-lever also secured to said plate, a key on said lever, and adapted when registering with one of said character-indicating points to depress the corresponding character on the type-bar vertically over the bed-plate opening, and a dog pivotally depending from the said second frame and engaging said rack-bar, substantially as described.

7. In a type-writing machine, a base, a rackbar thereon, a bed-plate longitudinally adj ustable relatively to the base, and provided with an opening, a frame pivoted near one end to the base and having a pin-and-slot connection with it at the opposite end, and provided with a registering opening and inkpads at opposite ends of said opening, a second frame pivoted to work vertically in the iirst-named frame and provided with character-indicating points, a roller, and a dog, the latter engaging said rack-bar, a spring holding said frame normally elevated, a slideplate mounted in said frame, a flexible typebar connected at its opposite ends to said slide-plate and underlying said roller, a lever connected to said slide-plate and provided with a key at its free end to register with one or another of said character-indicating points, substantially as described.

S. In a type-writing machine, a base, a bedplate having an opening,aframe upon the bedplate and provided with a registering opening and with ink-pads,a second frame adapted to fold down into the first-named frame and provided with a longitudinal slot and `characier-indicating openings, a slide-plate fitting in said second frame, a fiexible type-bar carried by the slide-plate, a roller depressing that portion of the type-bar which is vertically over the registering openings, a lever extending through said slot and secured to said slide-plate, and a key to engage one of the character-openings, and thereby dispose the corresponding type of the type-bar over said registering openings, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I aiix my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

GEORGE W. COFFMAN.

Witnesses:

J. C. KITCHEN, JAs. S. GRIGGs.

IOO

IIO 

